French designer Haider Ackermann has just been named as the new creative director of Tom Ford. The US institution – which was led by founder Tom Ford until April 2023 – has been without a creative director since July, after Ford’s successor Peter Hawkings left the brand after less than a year at the helm.

In a statement shared on Tom Ford’s official Instagram account, Ackermann expressed how happy he was to be on board at the brand. “It is with tremendous pride that I will seek to honour the legacy of Tom Ford, a man I have long admired and have the utmost respect for,” said the designer. “I am much looking forward to what lies ahead.” Ackermann’s first show for the label will be revealed during Paris Fashion Week’s AW25 edition next March.

In response to Ackermann’s homage, Ford also heaped on the praise in the same statement. “I have long been a great fan of Haider’s work,” he began. “I find both his womenswear and menswear equally compelling. He is an incredible colourist, his tailoring is sharp, and above all he is modern. We share many of the same historical references, and I could not be more excited to see what he does with the brand. I suspect that I will be the first on my feet to applaud after his show in March.”

Prior to this appointment, the former John Galliano intern is known for his own eponymous label, as well as the collections he designed for Berluti during his three-year tenure as creative director for the Italian house. He’s also known for his collaborations with Timothée Chalamet, designing a hoodie for charity with the actor, and creating that backless red look for the Bones and All premiere at Venice Film Festival. Time will tell where he takes the Tom Ford brand and interpret the American designer’s legacy.

Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Ackermann was adopted at the age of nine months to a French family, and his upbringing was wide-ranging, spanning countries like Chad, Algeria, Belgium and the Netherlands. He studied fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, and was heavily inspired by the work of Yves Saint Laurent. In taking up the new post at Tom Ford, Ackermann will be in charge of all collections across the brand, from womenswear and menswear, to eyewear and accessories.